Improved electro-magnetic helix



M. VERGNES. METHOD 0R PRINCIPLE 0? CONSTRUCTION FOR MAKING MAGNETICHELICES.

No 30,271. Patented Oct. 2, 1860,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAURICE V ERGNES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED ELECTRO-MAGNETIC HELIX.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 30,271, dated October2, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, llIAURICE Vnncnns, of-

the city and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Methodor Principle of Construction for Making Magnetic Helices; and I dohereby declare that the following is a.- i'ull, clear, and exactdescription thereof, and of its construction and mode or manner ofoperation, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification.

The nature of my invention consists in a new and improved method ormanner of arranging and combining the wire used in the construction ofhelices, so that there is obtained a greatly-increased amount of powerwith a comparatively small quantity of wire used.

Numerous experiments made by me have proved that when a helix is made inthe ordinary ways by coiling a given weight of wire upon a mold, eithercircular or elongated, and whether formed of a single continuous wire orof one or more wires coiled over each other, that the arrangement isdefective in many respects, first, there can be no guide in theselection of the diameter of the wire second, if any wire crosses othersat right angles in the interior of the helix a part of the eifect isdestroyed; third, if the helix is made of several wires coiled upon eachother, such wires have neitherthe same length nor the same respectiveposition in respect to the mass of iron to be magnetized; fourth, it iswholly impossible to correct any defect or leak in the interior of thehelix, as the spot where it exists cannot be discovered; fifth,'thegreatest defect arises because of the law or fact that a wire of whichthe diameter is equal in all its length opposes to the passage of acurrent of electricity a resistance which increases with its length, forit is known that where the galvanic electricity passes through a coil ofwire the conductibility of such coil is in-an inverted ratio of thelength of the wire and in direct ratio of its section, so that in orderto convey a galvanic current from one end to the other of such coil itis necessary that the section of the wire should be increasedproportionally to the distance from the poles ,of the battery, which isimpossible in a helix as ordinarily constructed. My invention meets andsolves all these difficulties and defects.

Figure I is a front view, Fig. I a lateral view, and Fig.1 is a plan, ofan elongated helix constructed after myinvention, and composed ofseveral double lays or coils of wire superimposed upon each other. Bothextremities or ends of each of these double lays are at the outside ofthe helix and project at one end, as seen at 1, 2, 3, &c., to 16, and 1,2, 850., to 16. These different double lays are independent of eachother and bein all of the same length, and also in the same 1' lativ'eposition, each one absorbs an equal quantity of electricity and producesan equal effect or power. This arrangement also gives the facility oftrying andtesting each double lay separately to ascertain its perfectinsulation, and find out the locality or precise spot-in the helix whereany leak or defect may exist.

The different double lays of wire are connected to the battery, and toeach other as represented by Fig. II. I connect the end 1 to one of the.poles of the battery and jointhe other end, 1, of the samelay with thetwo extremities 2 3 of the nextcontiguous don le lays; then theextremities 2 3 with the three following ones, at 5 6 then theextremities 4: 5 6 with the four following ones, 7 8 9 10, and then theextremities 7 8 9 10' with the three following ones, 11 12 13; then theextremities 11 12' 13' with the two 1415 then let 15 with 16, and,finally, Iconnectthe extremity 16 with the other pole of the battery. Aswill be ob served I increase the number of wires connected togetheruntil I reach the middle of helix, when the number is decreased.

In order to understand clearly the form these connections of thedifferent double lays, the Fig. III is a diagram of the whole-helixextended in a single straight line. From this it is obvious that thesection of the wire is in-- creased as the length increases, and thatthe greatest section of the wire is at an equal distance from thepositive and negative poles of the battery, and that if two'points, as Mand 0, be taken, so that the distance P M is equal to M O, that whilethe distance from M to P is only one-half of the distance from O to Pthe section at O is double that at M, sci that by my arrangement thesection at each point of the whole continuous wire is increasedproportionally to the distance from the pole of the battery.

The number of double lays of wire used in the construction of any helixmay be increased or diminished, as desired, or according to the power tobe produced 5 but inall cases'the whole number of double lays must besuch that the greatest number connected together in any helix,as at C,Fig. III, shall be as the square root of the whole number of such doublelays. If, as shown in the drawings, the whole numoer is sixteen, thegreatest number connected together will be four. If the whole number isnine, the greatest number connected together will be three.

Fig. V shows the mode of holding or bracmg the wire while forming adouble lay of an elongated helix with a square or round end. S S are twometallic or other plates having on their surface thin steel guidescurved or bent squareyand distantfrom each other about the diameter ofthe wire of which the helix is to be made. I commence the coiling of onelay at the outside, 0, and continue coiling the wire within itself tillthe wire touches the mold A 18. Then by lifting, gently, the wire I takeaway the plates from under the lay and place them on top, and continuewinding the wire D from the inside-outward till I arrive at the outside,D.

L L L are knaves or rightangled irons to. hold the'wire in its positionduring the building of the first lay N. The other knaves, K K K K, presslightly upon it and retain that part of the wire in position. The piecesL L L L are then raised, and I coil with the other half of the wire fromthe inside to the outside, completing the double lay with the wireP.Each separate wire is thus so coiled or 1: id that it extends from theoutside of the helix to the inside, and then back again from the insideto the outside, making a double lay, each separate lay or coil lyingupon or in contact with the other, but not crossing it, and therebyweakening its efi'ect, and each wire is of the shortest possiblelength--that is, only long enough to reach from the outside to the.

inside and back again -and all the several wires are of the same'lengthand have the same relative position in respect to any mass of iron to bemagnetized.

K K, Fig. I, are two iron plates, which are placed on both sides andoutside of the helix.-

. Actual experiment proves that by the use of these plates theefl'ectivepower of the helix is greatly increased. Such efiect is alsoin accordance with well-established magnetic laws. It is known that whena current from a voltaic battery passes through an insulated coil that,from the resistance of the metal or some other cause, the direct currenthas also an inductive power, and that such eifect is more sensible whenthe wire is long. Such effect is also greatly increased if the wire iswound in the form of a helix surroundingamass of iron, as in theordinary electro-magnet. Hence, if to a coil 1 or helix connected with abattery the plates K Kare brought in contact with such helix theybecome, by means of the inductive power referred to, magnets, and by so'much increase the power of the helix. The construction of helix abovedescribed is also in strict accordance with the law or formula of thecon- I ductabilit-y of a mass of metaL:

If A B A B, Fig. IV, represent a cylindrical piece of metal connected atP and N with the positive and negative poles of a battery, theconductability or magnetic power of such piece of metal will berepresented by the double cones P O M and N O M, and which comprise butone-third of the whole mass of the cylinder. The portions of metal P A MP A O N B M N B 0, surrounding the cones, and being two-thirds of thewhole mass, are wholly useless.

As will be observed, the construction of a helix according to myinvention, as above described, gives to such helix. as seen in Fig. 3,nearly the form of the double cones P 0 M N O M, and the greater thenumber of the lays the nearer it will approach that conic form. I

As the eflective power of the cylinder A B A B is due to but one-thirdof its mass, if its whole mass could be shaped into a form like that ofthe double cones it would follow that it would have three times as muchpower or strength than when in the cylindrical form. The same ruleshould also hold-as to increase of power in ahelix constructed after myinvention. And from careful and actualexperimen ts made by 'me I haveascertained that if two helices are constructed with equal weight ofwire, one constructed in the manner in which helices are usuallyconstructed and the other after my invention, as above described, thatthe latter has nearly three times as much power or strength as theformer.

Helices constructed as above described may be used under allcircumstances where the ordinary helices are employed, and they arepeculiarly adapted for all uses and purposes where great magnetic poweris required.

'I do not claim, generally, multiplying the number of the wires of ahelix for the purpose of increasing its power, as such fact has beenheretoforeknown; but

What I claim as myinve'ntlon, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. Constructing a helix of a number of separate wires when each of suchwires is so arranged or coiled as to form a double lay, sub stantiallyas described, each lay lying against or in contact with the other,butnotcrossing it, and when such wires are so connected with each other,as described, that the section of the helix at right angles with theaxis of its core shall be increased as the distance from the battery isincreased, such section being the greatest in the middle of the helix.

2. In combination with a helix, the use and application of the armatureor iron plates K K, substantially as described, for the purpose ofincreasing the power of the helix.

M. VERGNES.

Witnesses:

S. D. LAW, HOWARD BIRD.

